Streaming music service Spotify gets limited launch in Canada, but is it worth the wait?

On the heels of Google Play Music, which launched in Canada just last month, after years of rumours, Spotify is finally bringing its popular music service to Canada. But some speculate the dominant player in the U.S. streaming scene might be too late to the party with competing platforms like Deezer, Rdio, Songza (which was recently acquired by Google) and Google Play Music, already vying for the top spot in the Canadian market.

However, in the U.S. and particularly Europe, Spotify’s brand recognition is so strong its name is as synonymous with the concept of music streaming as Netflix is with video streaming, and this could arguably give the platform an advantage in Canada.

While Spotify hasn’t officially launched in Canada yet, the service sent out a limited number of access codes to Canadian users who signed up for early access to the streaming platform, giving those lucky enough to get their hands on a code the opportunity to test Spotify on iOS, Android and desktop devices.

So is Spotify that different from music streaming platforms already available in Canada? After spending a few days playing around with Spotify the simple answer to that question is: not really. But it does have a few interesting features that could give it an advantage over the competition, depending on what you want from a music streaming platform.

In general, Spotify is a nice mix of Google Play Music’s individual song and music searching interface and Songza’s curated genre/mood-based playlists, which will likely become a big part of Google Play Music, now that the service has been purchased by Google. Spotify’s artist specific online Radio stations also add an interesting touch to the service.

However, it’s important to point out its song selection seems slightly better than larger streaming platforms like Google Play Music, which boasts 25 million songs, although it’s still unclear exactly how many tracks are available on the service. In the U.S., Spotify boasts 20 million+ songs and while it’s impossible to say definitively, the platform’s Canadian library seems remarkably similar and this is a very good thing.

Spotify’s ability to save favourite tracks and albums makes the transition from services like iTunes, where users download music, much less painful.

With that said, nearly every song I searched for ranging from N.W.A’s Straight out of Compton to Blink-182’s All the Small Things, popped up in the search feed in a matter of seconds. Recent U.S. exclusive Spotify additions like Metallica, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin are also all available in the Canadian version of the service. The platform’s ability to secure high-profile artists ahead of its growing list of rivals is one of its biggest draws and could eventually set it apart from the competition in the increasingly crowded streaming music marketplace.

In terms of features, perhaps Spotify’s biggest attraction is its universal look across all platforms. Whether you’re using its iOS, Android, desktop or web app, Spotify’s easy to navigate interface is always strikingly similar. The ability to add individual songs and artists to a “Your Music” collection tab, is also great way to keep track of music you frequently listen to. With other competing platforms, users often have to resort to creating a mess of curated playlists to keep track of songs they frequently listen to. Adding individual songs and albums makes this process much easier.

Currently, Spotify offers three tiers of services: free, unlimited and premium. The free version of Spotify runs short ads spliced in between tracks and has some other feature limitations, unlimited costs $9.99 a month and premium is also priced at $9.99 (which seems like a mistake) and allows users enhanced sound quality (320kbs) and the ability to download tracks for offline listening.

While using the free version of Spotify is obviously the most cost-effective option, it does have a few significant drawbacks. With a free subscription, in the mobile version of Spotify users can only listen to curated playlists in shuffle mode. On the plus side, these playlists can be synced to your phone for offline listening.

Spotify has a special Canadian “Top Tracks” list. Screenshot

In terms of Canadian specific features, Spotify offers a few curated playlists specifically designed for Canadians called “Top tracks in Canada” and “‘O’ Canada.”

Many Canadians have already been accessing Spotify in Canada via geo-locking services that trick the streaming music service into thinking their mobile device or desktop is located in the U.S.

The streaming music landscape is set to get even more crowded when Apple’s iTunes Radio platform, which will likely be bolstered by the technology behind their recent acquisition of Dr Dre’s Beats streaming music service, is rumoured to launch in Canada and the U.S. later this year.